Dawlish World War One Project

Frederick George Ford enlisted with the Royal Marines at Exeter on 21 July 1913 soon after his 17th birthday.

He was sent to the Recruiting Depot, Deal for training in musketry until 10 July, 1914, when being of full age he was sent to the Plymouth Division, the Royal Marine Light Infantry.

From September to December 1914 he was attached to the Royal Marine Brigade, fighting in Belgium.

The same paper, on Tuesday 8 June, 1915, reported:

“Mr and Mrs J Ford of Strand Hill have been notified by the Admiralty that their youngest son, Fred, a Private in the Royal Marines, was killed in action near the Dardanelles. Deceased, who was 19, joined the Marines two years ago. He took part in the defence of Antwerp.” (He was in fact their grandson -ed)

His death is recorded as "Killed or died as a result of military action" while he was with the Plymouth Battalion, Royal Naval Division, Royal Marine Light Infantry.

Frederick George Ford was the son of Rose Mary Ford (1875- ), but his birth certificate does not name a father. His mother is shown as an 'Asylum attendant' and may have been working at Starcross. The birth took place at 3 Strand Hill, the home of John and Mary Ford, his grandparents. The birth was registered by Mary Ford, grandmother, who made her mark, 'X', on the form.

When he was four years old the 1901 census showed Frederick living with his grandparents John (1850-1933) and Mary Ford (1853-1923), three of their daughters, Lilian, 17, Eva A, 16, Ivy, 10, and three sons, Sydney J, 11, Frederick George, 8, and Ralph Harold, 7, at 3 Park Street, Dawlish. They had, in total, sixteen children and by 1911 five had died.